STEPS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF LISTENING

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1 STEPS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF LISTENING Nelda C. Garcia Ph.D. College of Business Arizona State University Article Reprint ABEA Journal Volume 7, Number 1, Spring pg 23. Listening plays a significant role in the communication process. Its importance indeed is recognized. Yet, listening is portrayed as the "forgotten," "ignored," "other hair of communication; the least treated in the literature, as decried by 25 authors; the least taught of all the communication skills; and, regarded as a relatively new field. There is assurance, fortunately, that a listening ability can be developed, acquired, and improved gradually. Our purpose is to do an analysis of 1. Steps for the improvement of listening, 2. Tests for the diagnosis and improvement of listening abilities, and 3. Implications for business teachers to use in training their students to become better listeners. AN ANALYSIS -AN ASSESSMENT A good listener is Attentive, able to concentrate Considerate, who devotes self to the speaker Responsive, who discerns the speaker's intent Evaluative, who judges a communicator's effectiveness The characteristics of good and poor listeners are supported by an analysis of 25 articles which provided 132 steps in the form of "Do's & Don'ts," "Components or Characteristics," and "Steps & Tips" to become a better listener. Reference to FIG.1 shows the number of steps for becoming an Active, Empathetic, Responsive, or Evaluative Listener. Importantly, the literature sample identifies corrective, listening-building steps which, when synthesized, provide implications for learning instruction. ACTIVE LISTENING Becoming an active listener by "Paying Attention, Concentrating, and Asking Questions," received the second-highest emphasis in terms of number of steps to improve these listening abilities. For example, 10 or twenty-three percent (23%) of 132 steps were given to become an Active Listener. Consideration of Whom? The preceding steps prioritize the speaker's role. The speaker's role nevertheless is high priority in a business environment. Those normally doing the speaking--the manager, supervisor or financial planner--are encouraged to listen empathetically to the client, customer or employee. the "successful manager will regard every employee as a valuable source of information and listen carefully." (Caudill) Employer-Employee communications in a work environment are shown in FIG. 2. A series of 22steps illustrate how the supervisor--as listener--communicates with employees. Attentive listening (in step 1), for instance, is empathetic listening with the employee; whereas "separating fact from fiction" is listening to the employee with objectivity. Regardless of overlaps, the analysis of these steps indicates that employer employee/employee-customer communications cannot lose sight of "consideration of others." The steps given for Employer-Employee or Employee-Customer communications, point to a critical need for empathetic listening in work relationships - a not too surprising finding. We can expect work-related, communications requirements. The supervisor-employee listening empathies provide insights which may warrant further study. For instance, if the literature is replete with suggested steps for the supervisor to improve a listening ability, what controlled observational studies arc being conducted to determine if indeed these steps are needed, or to determine if the supervisor is succeeding in implementing them? Finally, is the supervisor an empathetic listener?

2 Failed communication is "often the fault of the receiver of the message." (Pulich) A lack of feedback is more often the case. One-way communication from managers or supervisors notoriously presents communication breakdowns. In contrast, the supervisor who encourages two-way communication with employee enhances the communication process as well as mid-management policy. Consideration of What? Two-way communication takes into consideration others' perspectives. Of eight steps given for the empathetic listener to be considerate of Other's Perspectives," some were focused on the listener's participation, patience, or perspectives. For example, encourage others to participate, be patient with those who speak slowly, and consider the employee s or client's perspectives. Being an active communicator apparently does not mean being assertive, or an aggressive communicator. Only one step was provided for the listener to "Persuade." Does a SUP supervise without persuasion? Persuasive communication deserves more attention than that suggested by the steps provided in the literature. In addition to perspectives, it is important for the empathetic listener to distinguish between "Facts & Feeling.": or five suggested steps, the main message is to attach facts to main points, and to write down important facts. Interestingly, it is pointed out that listening to facts only can be a bad habit. Consideration of Others -How? To listen emphatically means to listen with "Objectivity," with "Observations rather than Over reactions: and with "Sensitivity." Four "Big 0" steps arc concerned with maintaining objectivity as one observes nonverbal actions and with not overreacting to words or ideas. yet, the important objective is to be sensitive to what lies between words. The shift to the "Big-O"- Other versus Own, places much emphasis on listening to "the other side; "the other half." RESPONSE. An empathetic, considerate listener is a responsive listener. Overreaction to words or feelings is a negative response; whereas objectivity is a positive response. Responses can be in the form of positive or negative feedback, confrontations, evaluations, or the mere taking or notes "R" steps were provided for the communicator to become a responsive listener. Some steps (of 15 "Response" steps): Reacting, by nodding or smiling positively; Realizing, by searching for areas of agreement with the speaker but letting the speaker finish; Remembering, by responding to what was heard, understood, evaluated; Repeating, by restating some of the things said, or giving feedback to the speaker; and, Responding to verbal signals in a calm, sympathetic manner to ensure an objective/productive solution. Many steps encourage the listener to "restate what has been said." (Coleman) Restatements, as a form of speaker follow-up are important feedback. Whether positive, which includes interaction and interpretation; whether negative, resulting from interruptions or stressful confrontation, feedback verifies for the manager that the message is understood. EVALUATIONS Evaluative responses, provided by 12 (or 9% of 132 steps), alert the listener to abstain from making judgments on content and the speaker. The listener can evaluate how effectively the communicator speaks, listens, uses body language, or interacts with others. The main evaluative theme is for the listener to evaluate the message only when it is fully understood. Evaluation with care, before premature judgments or snappy decisions are made, is saying, "Communicators, Take Note." TAKE NOTES Among the many responses that an effective listener can make is the active one to "Take Notes." The recommendation, "Take Notes," is intended for the listener's concentration and understanding of the speaker's main message. Getting business students to "take notes," to become a responsive listener, should not be difficult to do in a business classroom. A classroom activity, for example, where a student is assigned to "take notes on a lecture for classroom distribution" is developing good note-taking, listening-interpreting abilities. IMPLICATIONS The purpose of this report was to do an analysis of suggested steps in the literature and to derive implications for business teachers to use in training their students to become better listeners. The sampled literature devoted to providing steps for improved

3 listening fails to disclose the process, or actual "how-to," behind the performance of these steps. Many implications therefore are posed by the steps for listening instruction. Steps that are saying "what to do versus "how to do are eliminating the process by which effective listening can be accomplished. Much finger pointing at the lack of attention given to listening may not necessarily be true if one assesses the expansive volume of literature devoted to the subject of listening. What may be needed is not a discussion of what, which is easy to say, but of how, which is difficult to do. The lack of process may help explain why listening is the least taught of the communication skills, where the gap lies. If Remembering and Understanding--the ultimate components in the listening process--receive minimal attention, is this to say that nothing is being done to improve the listener's abilities in these areas? If efforts are being made, are they reaching the classroom? Close links between listening abilities also raise questions for possible probes. Three characteristics of an active listener are concentration (a barrier), attentiveness (a form or concentration), and asking questions (a response). The interlinking, overlapping problems posed by such abilities encourage the use of tests which can be useful to identity a listener's performance of any given component in the listener s communication process. Bare mention is made of diagnostic tools which can be used to identify and remedy the listening component creating the problem in the listening process. Business teachers need to "take note" or two testing tools which have a role in listening instruction: First: a Ten-Question Quiz (by Reed) which evaluates Arizona Business Education Association one s own listening skills. Secondly: The Jones-Mohr Listening Test which assesses listening efficiency development. Research or instructional implications can derive from the steps for the improvement of listening. The business teacher can admonish the business student to: Remember and Understand that An Active Listener needs to be Empathetic, Responsive, and to Take Notes. In acronymic terms, the business teacher is asking the student "R U ALERT?" The business teacher who points to an Active Listener's Empathetic, Responsive Techniques is sounding a Listener's ALERT!

4 Brownell, Judi. A Model for Listening Instruction, Bulletin of the Communication. September 1985: Callarman, William G. and William W. McCamey. "Identifying and Overcoming Listening Problems," March 198: Caudill, Donald W. and Regina M. Donaldson. "Effective Listening Tips for Managers, Administrative Management. Sept. 1986: Christman, Dona and Bert Holtje. "How to Sell by Ear, Industrial Distribution. May 1982: Coleman, Linda Jane. "Communication as a Business Skill," November 1984: 38. Crittenden, William F. and Vicky L Crittenden. "Listening-A Skill Necessary for Supervisory Success," Supervision. December 1985: 3-5. REFERENCES Ahrams, Roni. "Do You Get What You Ask For? April 1986: Anonymous. "Communication (Listening)." American Salesman. March 1985: Bell, George R. 'Listen and You Shall I Hear." Association Management. March 1984: Blackman, Jeff. "Open Communication Improves Business 'Circulation',. Data Management. February 1987: Brownell, Judi. Listening: A Powerful Management Tool," 1984: Frank, Allan D. "Communicating on the Job, (Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company). 1982: 143. Haggerty. Alfred G. "LAMP Speakers Outline a Formula for Greatness National Underwriter (Life/Health). March 31, 1984: 3. Hamilton, Cynthia and Brian H. Kleiner. "Steps to Better Listening." Personnel Journal. February 1987: Henning, James F. "Win-Win Negotiations," Corporate Accounting. Winter 1987: Jones, Hester S. Planning and Designing the Office Environment: How to Give an Effective Presentation," Office. March 1984:

5 Kozoll, Charles E. "Delegation Instruction and First- Time Understanding," Supervision. Oct. 1983: Levoy, Bob. "The Fine Art of Listening," Financial Planning. July 1985: Luthans, Fred and Janet K. Larsen. "How Managers Really Communicate," Human Relations, v.85, no.2,1986: 168. Miller. Arthur R. Are You a Lousy Listener? Industry Week. Aug : Smith, Arthur et al. "How to Teach Effective Listening Skills in a Basic Business Communication Class, The Bulletin June 1985: Steil, Lymann K. "How to Communicate by Listening,"Credit and Financial Managment. v. 85, no. 9, October 1983: 17. Westbrook, Lisa. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Security Management. Oct. 1985: Zimmerman, Juliet G. and Robert N. Zelnio. Listening Is the: Key to More Productive Focus Group Sessions," Medical Marketing & Media. Oct. 1985: Nichouse, Oliver L. "Listening: The Other Half of Effective Communications," Management Solutions. Aug. 1986: Powell, Jon T. "Are Your Employees Coming in Loud and Clear? Management World. Nov/Dec. 1986: Powell. Jon T. "Stress Listening: Coping with Angry Confrontations Personnel Journal. May 1986: Pulich, Marcia Ann. "How Well Do You Hear?", Nov. 1983: 1-5. Sandell, Roland. Listening Your Way Into Sales Success," American Salesman. Nov. 1983: 3-5. Sigband, Norman B. and Arthur H. Bell.Communication for Management and Business. 4th Ed., (Glenview, H. Scott, Foresman and Company), 1986, p.480. Smeltzer, Larry R and Janet J. Zerpa. "Active Listening for Managers," Credit & Financial Management. February, 1984:

PREP S SPEAKER LISTENER TECHNIQUE COACHING MANUAL

1 PREP S SPEAKER LISTENER TECHNIQUE COACHING MANUAL IMPORTANCE OF THE SPEAKER LISTENER TECHNIQUE The Speaker Listener Technique (SLT) is a structured communication strategy that promotes clarity, understanding,